John Quinn (wrestler)

Quinn was the cousin of Pat Quinn, former head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Quinn died in Vancouver at the age of 77 due to complications from a stroke after a surgery on April 22, 2019.

Remaining uninvolved in professional wrestling for almost 20 years, Quinn made an appearance at Twister's Gym at the Abbotsford Agri-fair hosted by Top Ranked Wrestling in July 2005. During the event, a tribute show was held in Quinn's honor and he was presented a plaque by the organizers.

However, due in part to business disagreements with British promoters, as well as the loss of the ITV show in December 1988, Quinn returned to British Columbia in 1988 where he rejoined the similarly-named NWA All Star Wrestling for a time although he would leave the promotion over a pay dispute with promoter Al Tomko and retired shortly after wrestling his final match against Danny Biback in Cloverdale, British Columbia.

After defeating Kuniaki Kobayashi in Hiroshima, Japan on the last night of the tour, Quinn returned to Great Britain to resume his feud with Bridges and St. Clair. During the next two years, Quinn would win the British World Heavyweight Championship two more times from Tony St. Clair before losing the title for a fourth and final time to Wayne Bridges on September 9, 1986.

Quinn was working for All Star Wrestling in Britain when it was televised on Screensport in 1985-1986 and again when the promotion gained a slice of ITV coverage in 1987 and he returned to TV appearing on both shows. His fourth and final World Heavyweight title win over StClair in Hanley in early 1986 was broadcast on the Screensport show and on ITV he fought Bridges once again and teamed with legendary masked wrestler Kendo Nagasaki. He also appeared on Welsh language channel S4C's Reslo wrestling show organised by veteran Welsh promoter Orig Williams, during this period.

When Wayne Bridges also left for All Star Wrestling in 1983, he and Quinn would resume their feud over the British World Heavyweight title which would also involve Tony St. Clair whom Quinn eventually defeated for the title in Slough, England on February 13, 1984. Also, in 1984, John Quinn competed in Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council In 1984, Quinn competed in the 1984 IWGP League finishing with 10 points.

Quinn defeated numerous British wrestlers including World Heavy Middleweight Champion Mark Rocco, British Mid-heavyweight Champion Chic Cullen and World Lightweight Champion Johnny Saint,. One title defence against Giant Haystacks in Claremorris, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland during this period was publicised with a contract signing ceremony on RTÉ television show Davis at Large. He would eventually lose the World heavyweight title to Tony St. Clair in Hanley, England on May 8, 1982.

In what was considered a major upset, Quinn would later go on to win the British World Heavyweight Championship defeating Wayne Bridges in London, England on April 21, 1980. Although his victory was intended to set up a feud with Bridges over the title, Quinn jumped to the rival All Star Wrestling while still champion, although Bridges was later awarded a splinter version of the title after defeating Big Jim Harris at Wembley Arena in 1981.

Returning to Vancouver, he briefly regained the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship before losing the title to Gene Kiniski on May 15. He would also have one last run with longtime rival Don Leo Jonathan as NWA Canadian Tag Team Champions in early 1978, Quinn began competing internationally with the Catch Wrestling Association where he competed in "World Cup" tournaments in Hanover, Germany and Vienna, Austria. He would also gain particular notoriety in Great Britain while appearing on ITV's World of Sport making anti-British statements towards audiences and often referred to Britons as "cowardly". Issuing open challenges to British heavyweights, his match against Big Daddy proved especially popular as an estimated 10,000 were in attendance at the sold-out Wembley Arena in 1979. Quinn lasted 1 minute and 42 seconds before he was knocked out.

During the next two years, he and Don Leo Jonathan would feud over the titles with Quinn winning the Canadian Tag Team title once more with Kurt Von Hess before losing the title to Don Leo Jonathan & Dutch Savage on January 17, 1977.

In 1977, Quinn began competing for the International Wrestling Enterprise promotion in Japan. He and Kurt Von Hess entered an 8-team championship tournament for the IWE Tag Team titles. Defeating Rusher Kimura & Shiyouzu Ooiyama in the opening rounds and Ryuma Go & Thunder Sugiyama in the semi-finals, he and Von Hess would defeat Animal Hamigachi & Isamu Teranishi in the finals to win the IWE Tag Team Championship in Yokohama, Japan on March 25, 1977. The following night, he and Kurt Von Hess lost the titles to Animal Hamigachi & Isamu Teranishi in a 2-3 falls match at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. During the match, although Von Hess took the first fall pinning Animal Hamiguchi, he and Von Hess were disqualified forfeiting a fall to their opponents and Hamiguchi pinned Von Hess for the third pinfall.

In late 1977, Quinn faced NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race in Calgary, Alberta on July 8, 1977.

During 1976, he and Kinji Shibuya defeated Don Leo Jonathan & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka on May 20 and also faced Terry Funk in a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Vancouver on July 19. Defeating John Tolos for the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship on August 9, Quinn and Shibuya would hold the NWA Canadian Tag Team title for five months before losing them to Jonathan & John Anson on October 28. He would also lose the NWA Pacific Coast title to Don Leo Jonathan on December 13, 1976.

He later reappeared in Stampede Wrestling to defeat Danny Little Bear to regain the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship on September 13. Feuding with Les Thornton over the title during the next several months, he would trade the title with Thornton in December 1974 before finally losing the title to Larry Lane the following year. As part of Big Bad John's controversial stable with King Curtis and Mr. Hito, he would become involved in a lengthy feud with "Cowboy" Dan Kroffat, Larry Lane and Mark Lewin after he and members of Big Bad John's "army" handcuffed promoter Stu Hart to the ring ropes and attacked him at an event in Calgary. He would also briefly hold the Stampede International Tag Team Title with Mr. Hito defeating Les Thornton & Frankie Laine for the titles on May 2, 1975 before the titles were vacated later that year.

Several months later, he would team with Gerry Romano to defeat The Brute & Mike Webster on July 16 and held the titles for a little more than a month before losing the titles to The Brute & Gene Kiniski on August 20. Later that year while in Superstar Championship Wrestling, he and Paddy Ryan would defeat Ray Steele & Luke Brown for the SCW Western States Tag Team Championship in Seattle, Washington on November 20, 1973. The following year, he was awarded the SCW Western States Heavyweight Championship when former champion Bob Mongol left the promotion in January 1974. He would eventually lose the title to Eddie Sullivan in Yakima, Washington on March 6 as well as the tag team titles to Sullivan & Luke Brown in Richland, Washington on March 22, 1974.

In early 1972, Quinn toured NWA Tri-State as The Stomper and won the NWA Mid-South Brass Knuckles and North American Heavyweight titles from Bill Watts in March. Within several weeks, he had lost the Brass Knuckles title to Bob Sweetan in June and the North American title back to Watts in the following month.

Returning to Vancouver, Quinn teamed with Bob Brown once again to challenge his former tag team partner Dutch Savage & Steven Little Bear for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship, later defeating them in New Westminster, British Columbia on August 7, 1972. Feuding with Savage & Little Bear over the tag team titles, they would trade the tag team belts twice with their rivals before finally losing the championship to them on January 22, 1973.

In May, he made his Toronto debut with Maple Leaf Wrestling teaming with Skull Brother #1 against Whipper Billy Watson & Haystacks Calhoun on May 2. Defeating Lou Klein the following night, he and Man Mountain Cannon would lose to Bobo Brazil & Dewey Robertson at the Varsity Stadium on June 6. Teaming with Mike Loren, he would also lose to Bobo Brazil & Luis Martinez on June 20 although he would score victories over Man Mountain Cannon, Lou Klein and Dewey Robertson before fighting to a double disqualification with The Sheik on August 29. He would leave the area after losing a Death Match to The Sheik on September 5. Leaving for Stampede Wrestling, he defeated Black Angus Campbell for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship in October before losing the title back to Campbell in Edmonton, Alberta on November 6, 1971.

By early 1970, after a stint as The Butcher for promoter Ed Farhat in Detroit, he eventually ended up in Vancouver's NWA All-Star Wrestling, where then-promoter Gene Kiniski billed him under his real name as "Mighty" John Quinn. Teaming with "Bulldog" Bob Brown, he defeated Dean Higuchi & Steve Bolus to win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship on February 9, 1970. Losing the title to Don Leo Jonathan & Duncan McTavish on September 7, Quinn would team with Dutch Savage to regain the title, defeating Don Leo Jonathan & Steven Little Bear on February 15, 1971. He and Savage would lose the title a month later to Dean Higuchi & Steven Little Bear on March 15.

On November 26, he and Baron Mikel Scicluna faced The Sicilians (Lou Albano & Tony Altimore) at the Expo Building in Portland, Maine. Losing to Spiros Arion in Trenton on December 2, he also faced Joe Adcock, Haystack Calhoun and Victor Rivera later that year before his final WWWF appearance losing to Bruno Sammartino at a television taping in Philadelphia on January 11, 1969.

Returning to the WWWF full-time in December 1967, he defeated Arnold Skaaland and Angelo Savoldi and, the following year, he also defeated Mario Frateroli, Edouard Carpentier and feuded with Louis Cerdan during February and March. On March 11, he faced WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York being pinned by Sammartino after a backward flip press. The Garden win over Carpentier prior to facing Sammartino was possibly his biggest career win. Although Butcher was a "heel", the two men shook hands after the match.

In early 1965, Quinn began wrestling in the World Wide Wrestling Federation as Virgil the Kentucky Butcher defeating Arnold Skaaland during a television taping at the National Arena in Washington, DC on January 18, 1965 as well as defeating Skaaland and Wes Hutchinson later that month.

Later that year, he returned to Ontario and teamed with Wes Hutchins as the Masked Yankees in Frank Tunney's Maple Leaf Wrestling. They soon climbed to the top of the tag team division defeating Emile Dupree & Paul DeMarco and Sweet Daddy Siki and Tony Parisi among others before suffering a disqualification loss to Whipper Billy Watson & "Lord" Athol Layton on December 26, 1965.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Quinn was brought in as a sparring partner for Whipper Billy Watson's wrestling camp. Impressed by Quinn, he was invited by Watson to join his tour in Ontario during the summer. Later training under Al Spittles, he eventually made his debut in 1961 wrestling for promoter Larry Kasaboski in northern Ontario. For the next few years, he wrestled under numerous ring names as he toured Canada and the United States including Marcel LeMay, Danny Dubois, Jack Clay and The Masked Spoiler.

In addition to his appearances in the WWWF, Quinn performed under his birth name for North American regional promotions including NWA All-Star Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling from the early 1960s to early 1970s. During his later career, he also appeared in European and Japanese organizations from the 1970s until the late 1980s. A popular "heel" in Great Britain during this time, he held the British World Heavyweight Championship a record four times between 1980 and 1986.

John Arthur Quinn (October 15, 1941 – April 22, 2019) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) under the ring name The Kentucky Butcher in the late-1960s, where he challenged then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino on several occasions, including a 1968 main event at Madison Square Garden.